


I'll Stand By You

by Cocopops1995



Category: Compilation of Final Fantasy VII, Final Fantasy VII, Final Fantasy VII Remake (Video Game 2020)
Genre: Angst, Cloud Strife Needs a Hug, Comfort, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, F/M, Missing Scene, a little bit canon divergent, and he gets it damnit, ff7 remake, just a little bit, no proof reading has been done, not a lot, of sorts, pre-Cloti
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-04-18
Updated: 2020-04-18
Packaged: 2021-03-02 04:35:03
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,695
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23719789
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Cocopops1995/pseuds/Cocopops1995
Summary: Tifa finds out about Cloud's visions of Sephiroth and comforts him.
Relationships: Tifa Lockhart/Cloud Strife
Comments: 11
Kudos: 370





	I'll Stand By You

**Author's Note:**

> My brain last night:  
> What do we want?!? TIFA COMFORTING CLOUD AFTER SEPHIROTH VISION  
> When do we want it?!? NOW
> 
> So yeah, takes place sometime in the night after Tifa breaking down and Cloud hugging her. And it also diverges from canon ever so slightly... Enjoy :)

Tifa’s lies in bed, staring up at the ceiling.

Her thoughts keep swirling about in her head like a hurricane, her mind skipping from one thought to the next, never settling on a particular one for very long. She worries about Sector 7. The aching grief that sits in her heart from losing her friends keeps coming back up and forcing more tears to her eyes. Her thoughts also dwell on Aerith. On finding out that the Ancients are real - that Aerith  _ is  _ one - and that Shinra now has their hands on her. And guilt eats her up for getting Aerith involved in this mess in the first place.

When not dwelling on any of that, her mind turns back to Cloud and the way he’d held her when she cried her eyes out a mere hour or two ago. She couldn’t forget how those strong arms had felt around her. Even when he held on a little too tight, she’d still felt safe in them. And she’d felt… something else. She just doesn’t know what exactly. But it’s not something she’s felt before, and she doesn’t know if it’s a good thing or a bad thing. 

She sighs and closes her eyes. She’d left her bedroom door open a crack in case someone needs her, and it allows the white noise of the sleeping house to filter into her room. She tries to focus on that instead in an attempt to get her mind to quiet enough for her to fall asleep. 

She can easily make out the sounds of Marlene and Barret sleeping in the room beside hers and she spends a good while just listening to them. But then her ears pick up on another sound that makes her eyes snap open. 

It’s the sound of someone groaning in pain.

She rolls out of bed and quietly makes her way out of the room. Out here she can hear harsh breathing coming from downstairs and she feels her heart clench. Cloud is down there, sleeping on Elmyra’s couch. 

His headaches seem to have been getting worse. She wonders if it's another one that's bothering him. Or perhaps an injury that he'd hidden? 

Tifa quietly makes her way down the stairs and the light filtering through the windows is enough for her to make out Cloud sitting on the couch, hunched over with his head cradled in his hands. Must be another headache then. 

"Cloud?" she asks, reaching out to touch his shoulder. 

He flinches so hard at the sound of her voice that he nearly throws himself off the couch. He twists around to face her with a look of fear similar to the one he’d had earlier that night on the when he’d been leading them to this place. 

He quickly pulls his face back into a neutral expression once he recognizes her but it's too late. She'd seen. 

"Tifa?" he asks in a barely controlled voice. "What's wrong?" 

She has to smile at that. Despite having obviously just been badly scared, he was still worried more about her than himself (either that or he was trying to play off what just happened. Or maybe both). 

"Couldn't sleep." Tifa answers with a shrug, moving around the couch and sitting down beside him. 

"Oh." he says, looking back down at the ground. "I'm sorry."

Tifa shrugs again. "It happens."

Cloud gives a little hum of agreement but continues to stare at the ground. She doesn't miss how his hands are clenched into fists in his lap. 

"Cloud." she says again, keeping her voice soft and gentle. "What's wrong?" 

Cloud turns his head even further away from her. "I'm fine."

Tifa frowns, thinking back to all the other times he'd said he was fine. All the times times his head seemed to hurt. All the times he seemed to see something that wasn’t there - like when he nearly cut down poor Marco. Or earlier that evening, when he’d stared into the air with a look of pure terror. 

She’s done pretending not to notice that something’s wrong.

“No,” she says. “You’re not.”

“Huh?” Cloud says, finally looking up at her, his eyes wide in surprise. 

“You’re not fine, Cloud. I don’t think you have been in a while.”

His face creases into a frown and he looks away again. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.” he says, voice flat.

She sighs. “Yeah, you do. Just now when I came down? I saw your face, Cloud, you were terrified. Just like earlier, when you were leading us here. You looked like you’d seen a ghost back then too - even more so that when we actually saw ghosts.” 

She reaches out and pulls one of his still clenched fists into her hands. 

“Please, Cloud. Whatever it is, let me help.”

He huffs out a sigh and curls further into himself and then, in a voice much smaller than before, says: “I don’t think you can.”

“Well definitely not if you don’t tell me what the problem is.” She says reaching out again - this time to pulls his face back toward her so that she can look into his eyes when she speaks. “Whatever it is, even if I really can’t help, at least let me help you bear it. You don’t have to keep doing this alone.”

For a moment all he does is stare back at her, and she finds herself getting just a little bit lost in them. She’s always thought that he’s had the most beautiful blue eyes and the glow that the Mako gives off only seems to enhance that beauty. And within them, she finds she can pick out the vulnerability that he works so hard to keep hidden from everyone, as well as the fear and doubt. 

He’s the one to break eye contact, turning his gaze back to the ground, and she lets him. She can see that he needs to work himself up to telling her what’s wrong. She’s patient, though, so she gives him the time he needs. He’s left his hand in hers though. It’s no longer clenched into a fist, so she slips her own hand into it, rubbing soothing circles over the leather of his glove as she waits for him. 

Finally, so quietly that she almost misses it, Cloud says: “It’s Sephiroth. I - I keep having these visions of him.” 

The name alone is enough to send a shiver down Tifa’s spine. It dredges up all kinds of terrible thoughts and feelings, causing the scar on her chest to throb ever so slightly. With a bit of effort, she forces all of that aside for Cloud.

“I don’t know why I keep seeing him,” he continues, his voice starting to tremble now, “But every time I do it’s like he’s really there, talking to me,  _ taunting  _ me. And every time I see him it scares me more.”

“Oh, Cloud.” she says, shifting so that she’s pressed up against his side and then pulling him into a hug. “I’m so sorry, Cloud. I’m sorry he keeps haunting you.”

He stiffens at first, much like he had at first when she’d cried into his chest earlier, but then he all but melts into her arms. 

Cloud lets out a shuddering breath. “What if he’s still alive, Tifa?”

Tifa can’t help but stiffen at the very idea but at the same time, her heart breaks at hearing the very real note of fear in his voice. 

“Then we’ll face him together.” she answers after a moment, forcing as much confidence into her voice as she can. “You and I make a totally badass team. He won’t stand a chance against us!”

Cloud pulls away from her and she, somewhat reluctantly, drops her arms.

A slight smile plays on Cloud’s lips now, and she feels a warmth bloom in her chest at the sight of it. 

“We do make a badass team.” he says.

She nods, her own lips curling up into a smile. “Yeah! He wouldn’t stand a chance against us!” 

He gives another one of those little hums of agreement and the smile doesn’t leave his face.

“But you’re not alone in this anymore, okay?” Tifa adds, letting her smile become smaller to match his. “Please let me know when you see him. Even if you don’t tell anyone else, at least let me continue to help you bear this, okay?”

The smile slips off his face, and Tifa hates to see it go, but he nods.

“Promise?” She asks.

“I promise.” he says and she can see that he means it. 

Satisfied she lets her smile grow once more. “Good.” 

She thinks about going back up to the room, but from the way he’s still slightly curled into himself, she doesn’t think Cloud’s quite ready to be left alone again. To be honest, she doesn’t think she’s ready to be alone again yet either.

“Do you mind if I sit here a little while longer?” she asks. “I don’t think I’m quite ready to try sleeping again yet.”

He seems a little surprised by her request, but then that smile comes back - the small and shy one she’s always kind of adored as a kid - and he nods. “Sure.”

“Thanks.” she says and settles back into the couch. 

She doesn’t quite press up against him but their arms do touch and now that she’s not focused on helping him, she feels that strange feeling from before creeping into her chest. 

She’s just decided that it must be a good thing when Cloud speaks again.

“Thank you, Tifa.”

She turns her head to face him again and finds that he’s looking at her. She feels herself blush even as she answers, “You’re welcome.” 

She’s not sure when she falls asleep, but the next thing she knows she’s being gently lowered into a bed and a blanket is being pulled over.

She blinks blearily up at the eyes that glow over her as he tucks her in.

“Cloud?” she murmurs. 

A warm hand rests on her head for barely a moment before disappearing again.

“Sleep well, Tifa.” he says before disappearing.

And she does.

  
  
  



End file.
